Until two weeks ago, I strongly advocated the Anglican Communion refusing to establish a new province in North America and mandating that provinces cease violating provincial boundaries by conducting ministries or establishing congregations within the Episcopal Church’s jurisdiction.
Then I read that the Episcopal Church had spent in excess of $1.9 million in 2008 on lawsuits connected to the departure of parishes and dioceses from this Church. Daily I read about critical needs for healthcare, food, sanitation, and shelter in the United States and abroad. I see the spiritual illness and death that afflict so many. I remember that Anglicans have wisely never claimed to be the only branch of the Christian Church.
I started to wonder, Was I wrong? Why not another North American province?
Interesting to see this perspective from a reappraiser–check it out.
There have always been and always will be reappraisers who see the witness of the EC for what it is…not good at all.
The argument that Schism is worse than heresy because heresy can be corrected and schism leads to more fracturing ignores the reality that heresy causes schism.
The current PB has decided for fiduciary responsibilities she must sue any church or diocese that leaves the EC. This is her take on the matter and her Chancellor (he is not the Chancellor of the EC) is being paid to support her position and set whatever precedent is needed to change the Constitution and Canons to support her ends.
There is no neutral position because a neutral position is tacit approval of the PB’s unconstitutional actions. To make matter even more dire, realize today that the Reasserts no longer have the votes to even be heard at GC09. The Communion Partners will do what they can but they have already been so marginalized that their voice no longer will matter or even be heard.
Choose this day who you will serve. That is the choice before us all. Faith and conscience is the decision. But a New Province is coming. The EC is fracturing and everything the leadership of the EC does encourages such fracturing. There is no honest effort at reconciliation. As it has been said before “Resistance is futile.” But it isn’t not if one seeks to be faithful to faith and conscience.
God have mercy on us all,
It was made abundantly clear in 2006 that our voices were not going to be heard…..or even tolerated…..within The Episcopal Church, and we were to be either assimilated or be pushed out; it was our choice to accept either. We chose neither; we left voluntarily. I chose to remain faithful to Christ and His Church, and not to TEC and its apostasy.
“[W]e who value tradition?” Good grief.